Monday 3 August 2009 21.15 EDT
First published on Monday 3 August 2009 21.15 EDT

Blackburn Rovers last night improved their attacking options following the departure of Roque Santa Cruz with the double signing of the Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic from Hajduk Split and Franco Di Santo on loan from Chelsea until January.

The Croatian club announced that a deal has been agreed to sell 21-year-old Kalinic, who had also been a target for Portsmouth, to the Lancashire club for a fee of up to £12m, while Di Santo was deemed surplus to the immediate requirements of Chelsea's manager, Carlo Ancelotti.

Di Santo, the 20-year-old Argentina youth international, has struggled to make an impression at Chelsea since his £3m move from the Chilean club Audax Italiano 18 months ago and, although he has appeared 16 times as a substitute, he has yet to score. Di Santo and Kalinic will compete at Ewood Park with Benni McCarthy, El-Hadji Diouf and Jason Roberts.

Ancelotti remains in the market for a marquee signing and is hopeful of closing a deal for the playmaker Andrea Pirlo from his former club Milan, although it is expected he will have to pay in excess of £15m. Chelsea also have an interest in Bayern Munich's forward Franck Ribéry.

Michael Mancienne, the England Under-21 defender, will be offered a four-year contract but he could be loaned out if Chelsea were to end the summer with sufficient cover at the back. Wolverhampton, for whom Mancienne played last season, would be interested in taking him on another loan. Chelsea said they want to hold on to the midfielder Joe Cole, in the face of interest from Tottenham.